Better Left Unsaid
by Chele
Summary: Trip and Hoshi are caught in a trap. [Tu&S]


Better Left Unsaid *****  
Title: Better Left Unsaid  
Author: Chele  
Rating: PG  
Category: Angst, Situational Challenge (www.lingdata.net)  
Codes: Tu/S  
Summary: Trip and Hoshi are caught in a trap.  
Author's Notes: A little piece of 'what if' and angst, as usual.  
Disclaimer: Really wish I owned _something_. But Paramount or anything associated with Star Trek? Sadly, no.  
Copyright: October 8, 2003

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_Drip._

Drop.

Drip.

Drop.

Hoshi watched as the droplets of water trickled down the cave wall, flowing through different paths of rough patterns, until they reached the ground she lay on.

She thought hard as to where she was, trying to remember what happened. _Bridge...away mission...shuttlepod...planet...explosion...Xindi...Trip...Trip!_

Immediately she sat up, but held her head when she felt the throbbing pain. Slowly and steadily she stood, holding onto the cave wall for support.

It was dark, too dark and, what she couldn't see sent chills through her. Hoshi took deep breaths but instantly regretted as the musky smell of the cave hit her full force.

She coughed and suddenly feared that she might not have much air to breathe. "Focus, just focus", she told herself. Yet more thoughts ran through her mind: what if she was alone? How would she get out of here by herself? What if no one found her?

A groan caught her attention. Her heart skipped a beat, hoping it was who she thought it was.

"Commander?"

No answer.

"Commander."

"Hoshi?"

Relief washed over her and she staggered in the dark, using her hearing to guide her.

"Hoshi?"

"I'm here."

From a small crack of light at the top of the cave, Hoshi could see Trip's body on the ground. She hovered over him and asked, "Are you hurt?"

He winced before nodding. "I think...I broke...my ribs."

"Okay, just lie still."

Sitting down, she tucked her legs under her and gently placed Trip's head on her lap.

They both stared at each other.

"That was a pretty long fall we took," she said. Her head still throbbed but she figured if she focused on him, everything else wouldn't matter.

"It was a trap," he muttered. "Damn bastards. We should've taken reinforcements."

"Then more of us would have been hurt or, worse, dead. Besides, the Captain will make sure we're found." She placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. "You're not cold, are you?"

"No," he answered. With a concerned look he said, "Hoshi, your forehead's bleeding."

"It's fine. I think it's stopped now."

A moment of silence passed.

"I feel tired," Trip spoke up.

"You know you can't sleep."

"Yeah, I know. It's just ironic that the time I feel I can get good sleep, I shouldn't."

She gave him a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

"T'Pol's been giving me Vulcan neural pressure to help me sleep."

"Ah, which is why you go to her quarters at night."

He smirked. "You've heard too."

"As the saying goes: word travels fast," she said lightheartedly. "It still hurts, doesn't it?"

His face fell. "Yeah, it does. Even more so than these damn ribs."

"The same with millions of others who have lost someone they love."

Trip closed his eyes and for a second Hoshi was alarmed. "Don't worry, Hoshi. I'm still here."

"Hashmastica peronima quisinco."

"What does that mean?"

"The Onelans say it, meaning: 'When one grieves, others do.'"

Trip opened his eyes. "Thank you," he mouthed.

"Your welcome."

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Take words from any language and give them real meaning."

"I guess...it's part of my job."

"No, it's also part of who you are, also one of the things I like about you. This is probably gonna sound inappropriate, but...I could _love_ you."

Hoshi stiffened; she didn't think it inappropriate at all, only _unreal_. She mentally shook her thoughts. He was most likely disillusioned from the fall and the pain. It wasn't as if he would actually remember half of what he told her.

So she did the only thing she could do--she smiled.

_I could love you too._

Yet the words never left her mouth. Some words were just better left unsaid.

_Fin_

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Situational Challenge: Cave-in, claustrophobia, an admission of love

***** 


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